Method of applying lining material to conduits, pipes, or the like.



No. 642,537.` Patented lan. 30, |900. A. T'HOMA.

METHOD 0F APPLYING LINING vMATERIAL T0 BUNDUITS, PIPES, 0R THE LIKE.

(Application filed Nov. 30, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.A A'

ANDREW TnoMA, or CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, AssieNoE To AMANDA M. LoUeEE, oEnoSToN, MASSACHUSETTS.-

` METHOD OEAPPLYING Immo MATERIAL To'coNouus, PIPEs, 0R THE LIKE.

srneIFIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,537, dated January eo, ieoo. I Applicationled November 3 0, 1898. 'Serial No.- 692,833; V(No model.)

To all whom it Inlay concern:-

Beit known that l, ANDREW THOMA, of Cam-f' bridge, "county of Middlesex, Statel of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement `in Methodsof Applying Lining Material to Conduits, Pipe, or the-Like, of which the follow-- ing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representingl like parts.

In theinstallation of electric Wires and for4 many other purposes -itis necessary to utilize a conduit or pipe which shall possess insulating properties to a high. degree, shall resist chemical and mechanicalinjury, shall beinv destructible bya considerable degree of heat v.or moisture, and which .shall lbe capable of 1 lexure without injury and Without deterio- 'ration with respect to anyA of the properties the market from time 4to time,lbut none of v set forth, an especial requisite beingfreedorn fromliability to injury in situ orby careless manipulation in the course of installation.

In such conduit-the inner diameter must be as 'l large as possible consistent with proper provision for insuring the'various properties noted and must be simple in construction and inexpensive.A I l f Various conduits have been placed upon these embody the propertiesessential to a satisfactory conduit, 'and in order that my invention may be` readily understood and its value appreciated I will indicate briey some of the particulars in which -prior conduits have been 'found wanting. 1

Various linings or inner tubes have been utilized to give properties of insulation and Vmoistureproofing to the conduits, and much effort has been expended in theattempt to adapt paper to this purpose, but without complete satisfaction, for the `especial reason, among others, that the paperis lacking in the regnisite degree of strength and almost completely Wanting in iexibility.'A In fact, rigid tubes, whether of paper, wood,ror other fibrous material, are open universally to'this objection 4and to the additional objection thatv it is dificult to unite them properly to the armortube, which in commerce is'rarely of uniform diameter interiorly, so that at various regions 'the walls of thearmor andv insulating meinbers are liable to be separated, witha consequent liability to injury in various ways, as will be readily understood by those skilled-in 'the art. Furthermore, inner tubes, whether united directlyto the armor or whether an interyening binding` agent of considerable thickness is employed, diminish the inner dianeter of the conduit tolan undesirable exten-t. To avoid this'diminution and still provide for suitable adherence to the armor-tube,

linings of oil-cloth and other fabrics have been employed, and to a certain e'xtenta tube' oflarger working diameter has been obtained but even'with thesethe tubel is still bulky in many instances, .and a fabric Whenever used exhibits a constant tendency to .pullaway from the AWalls of the armor-tube, provided the fabric is fstrong enough to retain its integrity under lthe bending-strain; but veryfrequently the' temperature applied in securing adherence of ,an oil-cloth or similar lining and the very-nature of the materials renders the fabric liable to a great weakem ing, so that itsl rupture ensues upon flexure of the conduit.. @The evil effects and possibilities of such '.displacementor rupture of the inner member of the conduit are too vWell Y known to require setting forth in detail;` y

The assemblage ofthe lining or inner inL sulating-*tube with vthe armor has been at* tendedfl-ikewise with vgreat dissatisfaction,

owing to the expensive and elaborate methods employed and their unsatisfactory resultsnotably lin the vinstance of the linings, to which reference has been made, which while more effectively joined to the armor-tube than were the inner tubes have been introduced only'with great'labor andthe use of complicated expanding-tools or other elaborate de-v vices. s v n The great difficulty encountered in producing successful ,conduits of the type noted above and theirfprohibitory expense, Whether satisfactory lor not, has favored the introducjapan applied to-the wallsan expedientwhich leaves a maximumjdiameter and re,

' tion to a considerab'le extentof pipes without '95 inner tubes orlinings other than a coating of duces the-bulk of the pipe, but utterly fails vto meet the moisture, insulation,`and other roo tests to which the Abest conduits lshould be Aand are subjected, leaves Valso much to be desired in point of flexibility, and .which is un-v equal ,tothe demands of permanence and resistancel to rough handling and ,manipulation in installation. f 'l i In' generalconduits at present-on the market,if they are sufiiciently flexible,lack proper capabilityA of resistance to mechanical and VV.chemical injury, while those possessing due resistance .in the latter respects are not capable of iiexure Without injury..Mv

Accordingly my invention is directed to the production 4ot' a conduit possessing' in a high degree the properties which I have set forth as desirable, and the conduit or-pipe and the novel method of its productiom which I shall describe fully hereinafter, I do lnot 'lim-it to use as-a conduit for electric conductors, but

vcontemplate its utilization-in any field for which itmay be adapted by the im provements constituting my invention.

In accordance with my-invention I provide an' armor tube, pipe, or conduitof anyrsuitable material` and construction, preferably metal gas-pipe of commerce, with af'lining preferably of or containing rubber, free from fabric, andin intimate union with the inner Vwalls of. the armor throughout the extent of the pipe, suitable provision beingl madefor its permanent adherence, thereto.'

My novel method of applying the lining to.

the inner wallsof the conduit has for its principal feature the use of a blast o tair, live steai'n, or other suitable fluid under high@ pressurewhich is directed into'the tube after insertion of the lining and preferably with the blast substantially unconned, the effect being that instead of setting up a pressure or tension` uniform throughout vthe conduit a `W a.ve of pressure isset up which travels.

'by me# VThe various features of my invention will be fullyillustrated and described in theac-v companying drawings and specification and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, 'Figure lfillustrates one means of carrying my improved method into eiect.. Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 show different. arrangements of linings at different steps in the process of application tothe armor-tube; and Fig. 7 illustrates a porti/on of completed conduitmanufactured in accordance with my method and thereafter bent cold in theform of1 anelbow and cnt through, the close adherence ofthe lining being illustrated at the fect I introduce by'any suitable means in any suitable manner "the, lining material Within cut portion.

In carrying my vimproved method into ef the armor-tube and then direct into the pipe' y or conduit a blast of such volume and under such` pressure that it sets up a wave which is permitted free passage'through the tube'wthin the liningl material and in its progress actsuponthe lining, forcing each successive por-l tion-of the latter outward into contact 4with' By referring'toFig. l' this operation will be under-V the inner walls of the arm or-tu be.

stood readily. lullig. l a suitable armortu be,in this instance of gas-pipe,is designated v by the reference-letter Af B designates a suitable lining-fsay of rubber-while thev blast of air (indicatedby arrows) is shown as.

ldirected Within the lining by a nozzle or tube C, which merely forms one convenient means of introducing the blast and maybe replaced by any other convenient. and suitable device.

InFig. 1 the material of the lining is shown vas carried'at b'for av short distance over the' -tube C, a wrapping D serving as connect-ing meansto hold `the tubesand lining iny place during the operation of applying' the lining.V 1 F designates a mandrel-like member which may be used as one form of means to deflect the blast or aid in its effective application to` the'lining materialif such means be found desirable. The crest of t-he wave and its effect upon the lining are indicated clearly atv 5 in Fig. l.

Y Referring to Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6,1 have shown therein various convenient -forrnsinv which the lining material maybe arranged before its introduction within the armor-tube, although I do, no t limit myself to any one'of these, nor, in-fact,`to any particular forms orv form so long as the lining material after its introduction will yield readily to the action of the blast and be capable of dilation into in- IOO rosA

timate contact with each portion of the walls A of the armor-tube.

Fig. 2 illustrates in end elevation a ply of;

lining material in cylindrical form with a' longitudinal lap-joint ate, whichmay be absolutely free, but preferably. will be provided with a small portion of adhesive substance to cause temporary retention of the n'iaterialn cylindrical form for convenience in introduc-y i tion. The lining must be freein accordance y invention to dil-ate against the walls with` my of the armor-tube', andwhen the lips `of the Y seam are' caused to adhere in the manner stated if the material 'of the lining be not sufficiently elastic to permit` distention the ad hesive material should be offsuch a character 'as to permit the seam vto start lwhen properly treated. In fact, however the temporary adherence of the edges of the seam may be accomplished, and it may be accomplished in any suitable way without departing from the spirit of'my invention, suitable provision should be made for starting the seam in the absence of a lining material of distensiblev properties. In Fig.. 3 a similar ply of `material E is formed with ya butt-seams', andfa suitable closure for the seam maybe provided,

an additional ply e2 serving sucha function in the form illustrated in Figs. l3 and in the oppositely situated with respect to the' diameter of theconduit, or the relation and num,- ber of the plies may be altered to suit convenience and the requirements of diverse situations.

In Fig. 6 the 1min g is man@ up of Semipues,

vand to facilitate the fprmation of the seams the plies may be beveled, respectively, at their edges, and such beveling or chamfering of the lining material maybe adopted with the forms I have already illustrated or. in-any form where it may be required or desirable. f

- Thev intimate nature of the union between the lining and -its armor when the former lis applied in accordance with my invention will be obvious not only to those skilled in the art,

' but to even the casual reader of this specification, from vthe very nature of the method disclosed, and as I am therst to dsecure such intimate .union I claim, generically, in an- 'otherapplicatiom Serial No. 720,860, 'led June 1 3, 1899, an armored tube vor conduit consisting of an armor-tube having a lining in intimate union with'the inner walls of the tube at ever)7 point throughout their common vsurfaces whether an additional adhesion be secured by the-use of adhesive substances in or upon the lining'or not. Suchl adhesive substances may be used with profit at times, and l as one example I will mention asphalt, which may be applied to the outer surface of the lining before its introduction or to the inner walls of the armor, likewise before introduc- 1 tion, or to both, andfat any suitable'stage.

When asphalt is used, the application of heat during the operation of introducing-and dilating the lining will be found desirable, and, in fact, heat .may be used to advantage almost at every step of myimproved method, and a high degree of efficiency will be gained in the use of the blast by utilizing air in a heated condition or live dry steam or other suitable fluid at a high temperature.

I am aware of the patent to Tatham,No.

417,688, dated December 17,. 1889, in which- 'oil is introduced behinda traveling pistonhead to expand ametal lining against a layer of insulating material interposed between the metal lining and an outer pipe or casing.

Obviously, however, both the metal lining and insulating layer, the latter -of a-flexible nature,'are necessary, the piston-head beingr of unchanging diameter, for the wear of the piston-head would destroy a less durable material than metal, and without a layer of flexible materialintervening between thel metal lining and outer .pipe spaces would be vleft therebetween atintervals, as commercial pipe is extremely irregular in ,inside diameter. Furthermore, in the absence of the metal liningthe action ofthe piston-head directly upon the insulating-layerwouldtend to strip it from the armor-tube, or if a relatively narrow head were usedthe resilient material would give before itwithout being forced into intimate contact with the armor-tube. Inas-A much, therefore, as my improved conduit is composed of the armor-tube and its lining merely, it will be seen that I have dispensed wholly with an element without which the vTatham conduit and method would fail-viz.,

the metal lining-accomplishing the productionof a conduit presenting the desirable features of the Tatham conduit in asimpler and less expensive form and omitting the undesirable feature of an inner lining of conductive material. j I I desire it understood that I do not limit myself to the use of gas-pipe and rubber as materials in the eonstruction'of my cond uit,

norto the means illustrated for carrying"my' method intoeliect, nor in general otherwise than as set forth in theclaims.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I duits, which consists in directing into said lining, afterits assemblage within said pipe, a blast to act progressivelyon said lining' at successive points throughout its length and force .it into intimate contact with thev inner walls of said pipeat every point throughout IOO the area of the adjacent surfaces of said lining I and pipe.

'2. The improved method of applying linings to the inner walls of pipes or conduits, which consists in directing into ,said lining,

ner walls'of said pipe at every point throughout the adjacent surfaces of said lining and IE?. A blank of lining material for armored conduits comprising a ply of lining material having its longitudinal edges united in a seam adapted to start during the operation of application to the inner walls of the armor.

et. The improved step in method of applying linings to'and within armor-tubes, which consists first in inserting l said lining within its said armor-tube and thereafter projecting through said inelosed lining a free blast to act expansively progressively upon and rwithin said lining throughout.

5. The improved step in methods of apply- IIO after its assemblage Within said pipe, a blast 4 0f air,v live dry steam, or the lil{e,said blast .ing livngs to and within minor-tubes, whh Id testmoywhereof .I have si'gned my` consists rst in inserting said lining Within name to this specification in the presence of xo its said armor-tube with a deecting member two-subscribing witnesses.'

arrfmed axially within said lininor and there`v after n'ojecting through said linllg between l ANDREW THOMA the latter and. said deeting member a' free Witnesses: i

blast to act expansively progressively upon ALEXANDER C. PROUDFIT,

and within said lining tlnouggfhoufs.v GEO. W. GREGORY. 

